The car, made in 1905, is the only survivor of six three-cylinder vehicles made by Henry Royce, as he was forging his partnership with C S Rolls.

It was owned by the Dick family in Kilmarnock for more than 60 years before it was gifted to the Royal Scottish Automobile Club in 1974.

Image copyrightRoyal Scottish Automobile ClubImage caption
The car with its old number plate after an overhaul for the Scottish Motor Show at Kelvin Hall in 1933

The gift stipulated the car must stay in Scotland and be displayed there.

The antique automobile has previously been on show at the headquarters of the now defunct Royal Scottish Automobile Club (RSAC) in Glasgow's Blythswood Square and the motor museum at Doune in Perthshire, which closed in 1998.

For most the time since then the car has been in Essex where restoration was to take place once the money could be found to carry out the work.

While in England it was used by Rolls-Royce as part of its centenary celebrations. It also had a complete engine overhaul so it can actually be driven on the roads.

The car has now been loaned to Glasgow Museums for an initial period of three years by the "Old Girl" trustees, who are in charge of the Rolls-Royce's interests and the terms of the will which gave it to them.

The museum took the car into quarantine for six months and monitored it for a further six months to make sure it was not affected by moths.

Seat pads were frozen to eliminate any moth larvae which could feed on animal textiles such as leather.

The fine leather of the car's interior has been refurbished, blending with the colour and texture of the original.

As well as the inside of the car, it had a mechanical restoration, with the underside of the vehicle being cleaned and excess oil and dirt removed.

Image copyrightRoyal Scottish Automobile ClubImage caption
Douglas Dick (car on the right) seated in the rear of the Rolls Royce

The three-cylinder Rolls-Royce was built 109 years ago as a demonstration car and was initially sold to a gentleman in Yorkshire.

It was then bought by a lady in Dumfriesshire whose chauffeur did not like driving it.

In 1908, the car was bought by the Dick family in Kilmarnock, who paid about £900 for it.

The current value of the Rolls-Royce is not known but the world's oldest sold at auction in 2007 for £3.5m.

The vintage motor remained with the Dick family where it became a treasured possession until it was gifted to the RSAC in 1974 by Adam McGregor Dick.

The terms of his bequest said the trustees must preserve the "Old Girl" and put her on public display in Scotland.

Mike Gascoigne, chairman of the trustees, said the car was important for three reasons.